Hi! Asking as a polytechnic graduate here. I'm applying to US universities (UC Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Georgia Tech, CMU, UCLA) for next year's admissions and am wondering whether I should apply as a freshman or transfer.

US college admissions aren't exactly specific about whether our polytechnics qualify as colleges (e.g. UCB: "You are a transfer student if you have completed coursework during a regular session at a college or university after high school.").

I don't mind not getting credit exemptions (though that would be a plus), I'm just worried that applying in the wrong category might do harm to my chances of getting in.